Recalls: Audi D3 S8
Overview
Manufacturers, or importers, issue recalls for defects or faults which have the potential to cause injury. Generally, manufacturers will inform the original buyers if their vehicle is subject to a recall and of the steps required to remedy the defect or fault. Please note that the recalls below (if any) are for Australian-delivered vehicles only. Furthermore, the number of recalls should not be taken as an indication of a model’s reliability or its safety more generally.
Recalls: Audi D3 S8
No recall information is available for the Audi D3 S8. To search for recalls of Audi models, please visit Product Safety Recalls Australia: Audi.
Problems and faults: Audi D3 S8
Overview
This section identifies potential problems, causes and fixes based on the experiences of owners and repairers, online sources and technical service bulletins. This information is provided solely for reference purposes and AustralianCar.Reviews recommends that only properly qualified persons carry out repairs or modifications. Furthermore, the number of items below should not be taken as an indicator of a model’s reliability or the frequency with which they may occur.
To report a problem or fault to the AustralianCar.Reviews team, please use the Contact Us form. Note that AustralianCar.Reviews does not offer advice on automotive problems or disputes; such enquiries will not receive a reply. For vehicles purchased from dealers after 1 January 2011, please see our Australian Consumer Law fact sheet.
Carbon deposits (build-up) on intake valves
Audi’s naturally aspirated, direct injected petrol engines (such as the S8’s 5.2 FSI) are considered susceptible to accumulating carbon deposits (or build up) on the intake valves. In these direct injection petrol engines, carbon deposits may accumulate on the stem and throat of the intake valve due to:
- the vaporisation of oil which is not trapped by the oil separator; or
- unburned fuel and exhaust gases that escape past the piston rings and enter the crankcase (‘blow-by’).
Since direct injection engines do not spray fuel on the backside of the intake valves, the detergent properties of the fuel cannot remove the carbon build up (as occurs in port injected engines). Symptoms of carbon deposits on the intake valve include difficulty starting the vehicle (hard starting), misfiring and misfire engine codes and reduced engine performance. Potentially, these deposits can result in damage to the catalytic converter and, for turbocharged engines, the turbocharger itself if bits of the deposit break off and enter the exhaust. To remove the carbon deposits, the intake must be removed and the valves cleaned manually. To reduce the incidence of carbon deposits, a common aftermarket measure is the fitment of an oil vapor catch can. The catch can receives dirty air from the crankcase via the Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) valve, filters it and returns it to the intake manifold via the PCV port.
Audi D3 S8: low-pressure fuel system sensor
In March 2008, Audi issued technical service bulletin 2015106/4 for 2007-08 Audi D3 S8 5.2 V10 FSI vehicles. In these vehicles, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may illuminate and the following diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) may be logged –
- P310B: low-pressure fuel system regulation, fuel pressure outside tolerance; and,
- P129F: low-pressure fuel system, pressure too high.
According to the service bulletin, this condition may be caused by fuel intrusion into the low-pressure system fuel pressure sensor (G410), such that a false signal that was out of tolerance was sent to the controller. Subsequently, improvements were made to the G410 fuel pressure sensor.
Problems and faults: Audi D3 S8
- Squealing and/or chirping noises from the serpentine drive belt may be attributable to a damaged upper idler pulley that requires replacement.
- The anti-lock braking system (ABS) may activate unnecessarily under normal to light braking pressure due to cracks in the tone wheels.
- The air conditioning may not cool sufficiently and/or the outside temperature reading may be incorrect due to a poor crimp connection or defective outside temperature sensor.
- The power steering may be noisy and feel like it is skipping – in the absence of leaks, the power steering reservoir or pump may require replacement.
- The automatic leveling suspension system may stop working due to problems with the sensors – the sensors may need to be replaced if they were of an earlier design; the updated sensors can be identified by a black dot.
